Soy sauce-like liquid seasoning and method for producing same

Abstract

Provided herein is a salt-free or low-salt soy sauce-like liquid seasoning having a desirable flavor and desirable functionality with no contamination by microorganisms. A method for producing such a sauce-like liquid seasoning is also provided. The salt-free or low-salt soy sauce-like liquid seasoning having a desirable flavor and desirable functionality is obtained by inoculating raw material grains of primarily soybean or wheat with a koji mold to prepare a solid koji, adding salt-free or low-salt water for brewing to the solid koji to prepare a moromi, pasteurizing the moromi, and fermenting the moromi with yeast in a container adapted to reduce entry of harmful microorganisms.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for producing a low salt soy sauce liquid seasoning, comprising the ordered steps of:
 a. inoculating raw material grains of primarily soybean or wheat with a koji mold to prepare a solid koji, adding water or saline to said solid koji to prepare a moromi, and subjecting the moromi to thermal hydrolysis, wherein the moromi has a salt concentration of less than 4% (w/v); 
 b. pasteurizing the moromi obtained in the step a, at a temperature of from 90 to 130° C.; 
 c. inoculating the pasteurized moromi obtained in the step b with yeast, and fermenting the moromi with the yeast in a container being structured to block the inside of the container from ambient air, and 
 d. pressing the moromi after yeast fermentation, thereby producing the low salt soy sauce liquid seasoning,
 wherein the low salt soy sauce liquid seasoning, comprises: 
 20 ppm (w/v) or more of isoamyl alcohol, 
 6 ppm (w/v) or more of 2-phenylethanol, 
 9 ppm (w/v) or more of isobutyl alcohol, and 
 10 ppm (w/v) or more of 4-hydroxy-2(or 5)-ethyl-5(or 2)-methyl-3(2H)-furanone (HEMF) with respect to a total nitrogen concentration of 1.0% (w/v), and 
 
 
       the low salt soy sauce liquid seasoning has a salt concentration of less than 4% (w/v). 
     
     
       2. The method for producing a low salt soy sauce liquid seasoning according to  claim 1 , wherein the low salt soy sauce liquid seasoning contains 50 ppm (w/v) or less of sodium ions.